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Thursday, March 3, 2016

Tim Ho Wan at Pantai Indah Kapuk

Tim Ho Wan, famous for being one of the most affordable Michelin-starred restaurants in the world had come to Jakarta about one year ago. First started out in Pantai Indah Kapuk, Tim Ho Wan has finally opened its second branch in Grand Indonesia. I haven't personally been to its restaurant in Thamrin, but this post will conclude my second visit to Tim Ho Wan Pantai Indah Kapuk. The reason I came back is because for the fact that Tim Ho Wan leaves a good note although I wasn't completely blown away the first time. But with quick service and a decent price with all its reputation, there's no fault in turning back here. My friends said that it's because the best thing about Tim Ho Wan is their pork menu while I don't eat pork, so that might be the thing I'm missing there hehe.

Anyhow, that doesn't mean their other menu isn't worth praising for!

Braised Chicken Feet with Abalone Sauce (38.800)

This is the first thing checked out of our order sheet, I liked the chicken feet that is steamed until tender. The meat is so soft and it easily detach from the bone once bitten and the abalone sauce gives a sweetness to the savoriness of the rest of the sauce blend. The texture of the chicken feet is maintained well during cooking at a temperature that does not shrivel the chicken during the steaming process and was not fried beforehand.

Prawn Dumpling - Hakau (IDR 43.800)

My friend once told me that the best way to judge a dim sum restaurant is by tasting its hakau. The hakau served in Tim Ho Wan has a very thin dumpling skin that it becomes translucent as it cooks. The dumpling is folded really well that it shows in the shell-like end product. The minced prawn itself were sweet although might be plain as there were no apparent spices mixed in the dough or filling.

Yang Chow Fried Rice

This is one of the newer menus from Tim Ho Wan. The fried rice is served with plenty of toppings for a price which I remember being below IDR 50.000. A good filler to your meal.

Fried Wasabi Prawn Dumpling (IDR 43.800)
This dish is actually pretty simple but it is one of my favorite. This is a fried dumpling filled with a hefty amount of prawn and then fried as a whole. The dumpling is then drizzled with a creamy, green wasabi sauce that gives the dish a good amount of 'hot' without being too spicy.

Chinese Tea (IDR 9.800)

Beef Ball with Beancurd Skin (IDR 33.800)
This dish consists of a minced beef patty that is shaped into a ball alongside with garlic and scallion amongst others, then wrapped in thin tofu skin. Flavor-wise it is really delicious but the texture itself is too soft for me and that there's no apparent meatiness coming from the meatball because of that.

Vermicelli Roll with Sweet Sesame Sauce (IDR 27.800)
Cheong fun drizzled with sesame sauce, hoisin and topped with sesame seeds. The cheong fun is served plain without any additional topping but the sweet sauce, which is too sweet for me so this might be one of the dishes that can be enjoyed by either vegetarian and vegan out there. Some other vegetarian alternative can be: pan-fried turnip cake (one of their signatures!), steamed egg cake -- depending on which type of vegetarian are you, or just simply order their poached seasonal vegetables.

Vermicelli Roll with Prawn (IDR 43.800)
Not pictured is the sauce that comes along with this dish, a thin mix of soy sauce which you can drizzle on top of the rice flour cake. There's a good amount of small shrimp inside the roll that is very sweet and its texture still bouncy. As for the layer of the cheong fun itself, it is cooked pretty well. It is not sticky and also not dry (which is often the case when the skin is cooked too long on one side).

That summed up my experience at Tim Ho Wan! Until now, I haven't tried any of their signature 'Big 4 Heavenly Kings', mostly because of my dietary restriction. But as for the rest of the meal, I enjoyed thoroughly. Try it out yourself, especially as now the place is not as crowded as it was during its opening week and there's no crazy amount of queuing to get into the green and white dominantly colored building. I always dine at their main floor, but you might check out their upper floor seatings (wheelchair accessible) by using their elevator. All and all, Tim Ho Wan is a good experience, but it still have to maintain their consistency to set their step in the Jakartan culinary industry.